Month: January 2016

Did you see the video of the 2-year-old little girl saying her nighttime prayers? If not, you can view it on CNN.com. Search for “toddler praying on baby monitor.” Go ahead, I’ll wait. I saw it on CNN Wednesday morning.… Continue Reading →

CNN’s feature “The person who changed my life” got me thinking who is that for me. I did not have to think long. Aside from my parents, my kids and my wife, the answer is clearly Mr. James Gilmartin. This… Continue Reading →

Don’t know if there is a Northeast Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, and if there is, don’t know if they name a Person of the Year. But if they do, I have a nominee. Stefano DiPietro. He’s the weather guy I watch… Continue Reading →

Louis Arroyo died last week. No, I don’t expect you to know of him. But a few of you may. I do. Louis (pronounced Lou-eece, emphasis on the second syllable) was a New York Yankee. A lesser known one, obviously.… Continue Reading →

The death of David Bowie conjured up the same memory for three people I know extremely well: my daughter, my son and I. The memory is Labyrinth. The adventure fantasy movie by Jim Henson and George Lucas was released in… Continue Reading →

My wife is afraid if I win a billion dollars tonight I will give it all away. I’m afraid I won’t be able to give it away fast enough. First of all, we’re probably talking about a moot point. I… Continue Reading →

I put away Christmas yesterday. So much easier than getting it out. And so much harder. Physically, there is no comparison. No untangling strings of lights. No searching for the perfect place on the tree for the peach ornament you… Continue Reading →

Murph Adams will be laid to rest today and many of us will never be the same. In particular, the guys at the donut shop on the corner of William and Laurel streets near the Pittston By-Pass. “That’s Murph’s stool,”… Continue Reading →

About 200 pages, 222 to be exact, into The Art of Fielding I wanted to recommend it to all my friends. At page 446 I’m not so sure. The lives of all of the characters author Chad Harbach made me… Continue Reading →

About the Optimist

Ed Ackerman, a consulting editor and columnist for the Greater Pittston Progress, has served the people of Greater Pittston for 48 years, starting in the newspaper field at age 17. The Pittston resident will share his thoughts in this blog and in a weekly column published in the Progress. greaterpittstonprogress.com